The U.S. Capitol Visitor Center
The east side of the Capitol in its nighttime glory, as it would appear as Langdon approaches the Visitor Center.
Langdon enters through the Capitol Visitor Center, a new addition to the US Capitol building which opened in December 2008 — just 9 months before publication of The Lost Symbol, explaining why it is new even to been-everywhere, seen-it-all Langdon.
The enormous facility can hold up to 4,000 people on three levels — all completely underground. Located under the Capitol's east plaza, the CVC has space for exhibitions, tourists, and areas for use by Congress.
Aerial view of the CVC during construction (click to enlarge). The entrance is near the center of the photo. The blue rectangles on the ground are skylights offering a view of the Capitol dome from within the CVC.
Entrance to the Capitol Visitor Center
Entering the Visitor Center, looking down on Emancipation Hall and viewing the Capitol dome through the large skylights. A Washington, DC resident has a nice blog post showing the Visitor Center entrance and skylights.
Statue of Freedom
The Statue of Freedom atop the Capitol dome, which Robert Langdon notes with irony. It's made of bronze, stands 19½ feet tall, and weighs 15,000 pounds.
Sanders Theatre, Harvard University
Harvard University Sanders Theatre, where Langdon lectures to students sitting on creaky benches.
Capitol Cornerstone Ceremony Mural
The Capitol Cornerstone Ceremony mural which intrigues Langdon's students. Although the style looks quite old, it was painted in the 1970s. (Click image to enlarge.)
Skylights for homes can completely replace artificial lighting during the day given the right circumstances. This can lead to huge energy savings which in turn leads to monetary savings. However, there are still some skeptics that doubt the ability of dome skylights for homes when it comes to illuminating houses.
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